India committed to help redefine

Herat (Afghanistan), June 4 (IANS) India is committed to restore hope and redefine war-torn Afghanistan’s future, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, after inaugurating a dam built with Indian assistance here.

Modi said he had not come to Afghanistan just to launch the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, also known as Salma Dam.

“We are reviving a region, renewing life, restoring hope and redefining Afghanistan’s future,” Modi said in a brief speech after the inauguration ceremony with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

He said the two nations have “come together to honour and celebrate Afghan determination to build a future of prosperity”.

“This dam has not been built by bricks and mortar, but by faith of our friendship and valour of Afghans and Indians,” said the Prime Minister.

Modi left early Saturday for Afghanistan, the first leg of a five-nation tour that will also take him to Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico.